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Thinking of turning green, purple or other ghastly colors this Halloween? How about donning some fake blood or rubber scars to put you in the mood? Go ahead, paint away. Just make sure that when you transform your kids into creepy ghouls, their skin doesn't end up with a creepy rash.

Food coloring mixed with corn syrup might sound interesting on a toddler's waffle, but will your kids' skin like it? Maybe not. These are some ingredients in do-it-yourself Halloween makeup. If you or your children have sensitive skin, it's best to forgo homemade concoctions and stick with makeup that has already been approved for the face.

The three most common types of face paints are cream, grease-based (oil-based) and water-based. All can be applied using fingertips or sponges. Choose alcohol-free products whenever possible because products containing alcohol might burn sensitive skin. Beware of makeup that contains an antiperspirant because, depending on the strength, it could irritate the skin. Teenagers with extremely oily or sensitive skin should carefully choose face paints. They need to be on the lookout for water-based makeup because greasy face paint can aggravate acne in those with oily skin.

Special effects without aftereffects

Besides the freakish effect, face makeup is a good choice for disguising yourself for Halloween fun. Masks can be uncomfortable and hot and often block your view, so they aren't the safest option for young kids walking around on a dark night. But make sure your painted-on designs don't cause problems of their own.

Most of the time people use face paint for Halloween and lots of other special occasions without a problem but not always.

"It is important to follow the instructions on the package when applying and removing face paint, particularly for younger children who might be more sensitive or even allergic to some of the ingredients in the makeup," said Dr. Rajani Katta, an assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

To avoid a reaction to face paint, Katta offers these tips:

• Try to buy products made in the United States. These products often have stricter regulations of what ingredients are allowed to go into the product.



• Only use products designed for the face. Do not use things such as markers or glitter that are not intended for the face. Both could be difficult to remove and may involve harsh scrubbing on young skin.



• Use discretion when deciding when a child might be too young to wear face paint. For example, small children may be more prone to touch and rub sensitive areas, such as the eyes, which could push makeup into the eye and trigger irritation.



• If you're decorating your child's skin with something you've never used before, you might try a dab of it on his or her arm for a couple of days to check for an allergic reaction before applying it to the face. This is a particularly smart thing to do if your child tends to have allergies or sensitive skin.

It's not easy being green

A big part of Halloween makeup is color. But this is your child's skin we're talking about. Think about what you're putting on it. You won't want to put the same coloring on your kid's skin that a car company uses in its paint. And the paint you use for art projects may be harsh and harmful for delicate facial skin.

Luckily, you don't have to use paints on skin that were meant for other purposes. By law, color additives have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in cosmetics. That includes the just-for-fun kind that people use on Halloween and theatrical makeup, as well.

Plus, the FDA has to decide how color additives may be used based on safety information. A color that's OK on tough fingernails or hair may not be OK on skin. Colors that are OK for most of the skin may not be OK near the eyes.

How do you know which ones are OK to use and where? Check two places:

1. The list of ingredients on the label. Look for the names of the colors. Then...



2. Check the Summary of Color Additives on the FDA Web site. There's a section that's especially for colors for cosmetics. If there's a color in your Halloween makeup that isn't on this list, the company that made it is not obeying the law. Don't use it. Even if it's on the list, check to see if it has FDA approval for use near the eyes. If it doesn't, avoid it.

Glowing kids

There are two kinds of "glow" effects you might get from Halloween-type makeup. There are fluorescent and luminescent colors. Here's the difference:

Fluorescent colors: These are the make-you-blink colors sometimes called "neon" or "day-glow." There are seven fluorescent colors approved for cosmetics. And, like other colors, there are limits on how they may be used. None of them are allowed for use near the eyes. These are: D&C Orange No. 5, No. 10 and No. 11; and D&C Red No. 21, No. 22, No. 27 and No. 28.

Luminescent colors: These colors glow in the dark. In August 2000, the FDA approved luminescent zinc sulfide for limited cosmetic use. It's the only luminescent color approved for cosmetic use, and it's not for every day and not for near the eyes. You can recognize it by its whitish-yellowish-greenish glow.

Before tucking witches and goblins into bed...

After a successful night of fright, don't let your kids go to bed with makeup on. Wearing it too long might irritate their skin, and bits of makeup can flake off or smear and get into their eyes, not to mention messing up your bed linens.

How you take the stuff off is as important as how you put it on. Make sure your kids come to you for makeup removal. Don't let them try to rub the makeup off, as they will probably just irritate their skin and end up with a smeared mess. Most paints are stubborn, so remove it the way the label says. Cream makeup and water-based makeup can be removed easily with soap and water. Grease-based paints last longer because they are heavier and, therefore, harder to remove. To remove grease makeup, apply a layer of cold cream or baby oil and wipe with a tissue. If eye makeup remover is recommended on the label, use eye makeup remover. The same goes for removing the glue-like material on fake beards. And remember, the skin around the eyes is delicate, so remove makeup gently with a cotton ball or soft cloth.

What can you do if your trick-or-treater ends up with some kind of skin rash?

"If a minor rash or allergic reaction develops, over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream may be applied in a thin layer to the affected area for two days. If the rash is persistent or if there is swelling around the lips or the eyes, a physician should be contacted immediately," says Katta.

Related Article Halloween Safety

External Sources The Baylor College of Medicine The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.